Gosh, where does one start on such a pack of lies.
If the Christian conservatives are driven out of the GOP, the GOP will never win another national election again.
"Out in the cold" my patootie. If the Christians started another Party, it would be the majority party again within ten years. Conversely, without Christians, the GOP would quickly go the way of the Whigs.
"Mainstream"? The Christian conservatives are the heart and soul, and the arms and legs of the Republican Party. If you don't like it, go be a Democrat. If the only thing that matters to you in politics is power, what difference will your departure make to anybody?
Tell that to soon to be governor Ken Blackwell. Oh, he won't being living in the Governors mansion?
You need not speculate on what would happen. The experiment has been tried a few times, with the following results:
1992: 106,152 votes / 5th place
1996: 184,820 votes / 5th place
2000: 98,022 votes / 6th place
2004: 144,498 votes / 5th place